


Sleeping

by Dorano1



Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, character insights, sleeping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-15
Updated: 2016-03-31
Packaged: 2018-05-26 23:56:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6260983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dorano1/pseuds/Dorano1
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The smallest things can tell you everything.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The 501st

Rex sleeps on his back. His head and shoulders are always propped up a little bit, no matter where he is - in the field, he usually ends up sleeping sitting up. More often than not, one foot is braced against the mattress - or the ground - so his knee is pointed towards the ceiling, ready to spring him into action if necessary. When inside, he always positions himself closest to the door, always facing it, ready to intercept anything that came through it. When he and his men don't have the luxury of four walls and a roof, he makes a habit of camping on the edges, a one-man buffer between his men and the droids.

* * *

Ahsoka sleeps on her side, curled up like a cat - or a waiting nexu. She always uses her hands as a pillow, tucking them neatly beneath her head so her cheek rests against the back of one hand. Her knees are always drawn up towards her chest, toes pointed down - how tightly they're pulled in depends on where she is. In the safety of the Jedi Temple, her knees are barely bent, but in a warzone camp, she curls in on herself so tightly that Anakin is constantly surprised her spine isn't broken - or at least seriously distorted. She takes the high ground when she can, preferring the top bunk or the overhanging ledge. She tries to take a central space - or near to it - in an attempt to reassure herself, when she wakes, that she is not alone in this war.

* * *

Very few people have ever seen Anakin sleep. Most of those who have only saw him unconscious after his latest escapade. The Hero With No Fear sleeps rarely, and never for long. He is too busy patrolling, pacing, _caring,_ to worry about things like sleep. On those rare occasions he _does_ sleep, he sleeps on his back, staring up at the ceiling - he's never been able to sleep outdoors, he's always too paranoid that _something_ will sneak up in the dark and steal someone away - until he finally gathers up the courage to drift away. Since the war started, he hasn't slept more than four hours at a time. Usually, he sleeps less than two. He can never quash the feeling that something will go wrong if he's asleep for too long.


	2. The 212th

Obi-Wan sleeps on his side, his head resting on his upper arm and his legs stretched lazily out behind him. Often, he's wrapped up in his cloak with the hood pulled over his head, and he clings gratefully to the extra warmth it provides. He's been cold since the war started, and any extra heat is welcome - although he quietly suspects that he could stand on the shores of Mustafar's lava rivers and still not be warm again. He always faces to door when he sleeps, and he always sleeps against the far wall - buying himself that critical split second to reach for his lightsaber and lunge for his opponent. The only place he can sleep for long stretches is the Jedi Temple. Elsewhere, four hours is the rough average - less, in a war zone. He never feels secure enough to sleep unless there's a wall, or a rock, or something against his back.

* * *

Commander Cody always sleeps sitting up. Ever alert and watchful, he's always looking for the next attack, the next enemy, and lying down to sleep is something he hasn't done since...well, since Kamino, when he and Rex were always there to watch each other's backs. His blaster is always within arms reach, sometimes even in hand - especially if he expects to wake up fighting. He's always preferred the corners, taking up watch where nobody can sneak up on him, and yet he can see everything.


	3. Coruscant

Padmè Amidala sleeps on her side. The blankets always start out smooth and even, but by the time she wakes up they're a disorderly mess. One arm cushions her head while the other drapes across her stomach, except when Anakin comes home. When Anakin comes home, she happily burrows against his chest, letting all the cares and worries that line her eyes melt away. When Anakin is not home, she still sleeps well enough, secure in the knowledge that even if an attack on Coruscant is possible, it's unlikely - but she never entirely relaxes. There's always that tiny bit of tension in her shoulders.

* * *

Bail Organa sleeps on his stomach. He doesn't use a bed much, catching most of his sleep slumped over a datapad-filled desk. His arms are always crossed beneath his head, forming a sort of pillow, and his head usually ends up at such a ridiculous angle that it's not unheard of for someone to assume an assassin broke the Senator's neck. He's no soldier, and he doesn't know how to strategically place himself within a room for maximum survivability in case of an attack, but he does know enough to ensure he's always facing the door.

* * *

Commander Fox hasn't slept well in a while. He never questioned his role in the Ahsoka case - he lost good men to her (or Offee, as it turns out), and all the evidence had pointed solidly to her. Then she'd turned out to be innocent, Offee had confessed, and all had gone on with the galaxy. But ever since he'd pulled the trigger on a brother, and watched the life and light leave his eyes, sleep has been increasingly hard to come by. His lieutenants have noticed, even tried to get a medic to check him over, but Fox had pulled rank and gotten them to leave him alone. He was still functional, damnit, so cared if he was sane?

* * *

Sheev Palpatine would have the galaxy believe he didn't sleep, but the reality was that he was still flesh and blood, and thus his body required rest. While the constantly wakeful Chancellor and omnipresent Sith Lord were very useful personas to maintain, the real reason behind this deception was much simpler - and much more embarrassing. You see, the esteemed Chancellor Palpatine, Darth Sideous, Lord of the Sith, sucked his thumb when he slept.


End file.
